Wrench



H. w. SMALL :2,259,216

WRENCH oct. 14, 1941.

Filed Dec. 30, 1940 -j7jll J7' ,3. f

2 INVENTOR. 7 1119.4.

By M,

A TT ORNE YS.

Patented er. 14, 1941 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRENCH Hervey W. smell, small,- mane Application Deeember so, 1940, serial Ne. 372,415A

Claims. I (ci. sie-"85)" This invention'relates to wrenches.

One of its objects is to provide a wrench for use on nuts, pipes or other angular or round objects, the construction being such 'as to close upon and firmly grip an object while being turned iii one direction, but to openand be Yfree to slip backtoward lts original position when swung in the: opposite direction.

Another object is to provide a lwrench which can be adjusted quickly to objects of different diameters.

Aiurther object is to provide a meansfor fastening the jaws of the Wrench against move ment apart after they have been brought to gripping positions.

A still further object is to provide a wrench which is simple and compact in construction and will. not readily get out of order.

' With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out'in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the ,invention as claimed.

' in closed position.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the back of the wrench. l i Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section through the wrench on line 3-3, Figure 2, the locking grip being released and' in elevation.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 4 4,

Figure 3. Y Referring to the gures by characters of reference, I designates a shank slotted longitudinally as at 2A and provided at one end with a stationary jaw 3. This jaw can -be straddled by a gripping plate 4 held in place 'detachably by a transverse removable pin 5.

The other end of the shank is offset at Q and merges into a tubular handle 1 having a longitudinal bore 8 alined with the center of jaw 3. The outer endof the bore, which is the end farthest removed from jaw 3, is counterbored at 9 to provide a shoulder I0.

A cap in the form of a screw plug II is removably seated in the outer end of the counterbore and has an arm I2 extending from its margin .and terminating in a head formed by oppositely extended alined studs I3.

Cap II constitutes a guide for a round stem I4 adapted to slide and rotate therein, and the outer end of the stem is flattened at I5 where it is straddled by a fork I6 pivotally connected thereto at I1. TheVV fork also straddles the arm I2 vand hasv notches I8 adaptedto receive the studsItas shown.

Thefork is integrall with' and extends at an angle -from a grip' I9 which is arcuate' in crosssection and adapted tov move against and extend partly around handle 1 as in Figure 1.

Stem I4 has a collarv 20 located in counterbore 9 and providing an abutment for one end of a coiled spring 2I the other end of which thrusts against a ring 22 seated against shoulder Ill.

' The stem I4 has` a screw-threaded end 23 seated in a screwthreaded recess 24 extending in one' end of the round shank 25 of a movable jaw. This shank projects from bore 8 and has va. terminal' fork 26 in which is pivotally mounted one end of a jaw holder 21. Extending from that end of the holder near its pivot 28 is an integral 1eve1v29 projecting through slot 2 and terminating in a hook-30. An arm 3| extends from the other end of `the holder and also projects through slot 2 and a recess 32 is formed in said end for-the reception of a wing 33 projecting from the movable jaw 34. A pivot pin 35 conneets the wing to the holder so that a limited swinging movement of jaw 34 relative to its holder is permitted.

A lslide -36 is mounted on shank I and near one end thereof is an opening 31 into Which hook 30 projects. Near the other end of the slide is a recess 38 in which arm 3| is pivotally secured by a pin 39. Y

A recess 49 is formed in holder 21 and opens into the center of a transverse groove 4I formed in the holder.- In this recess is a coiled spring 42 which thrusts against a pin 43 having a thrusting head 44 formed of oppositely extended studs. 'I'hese studsare substantially semi-cylindrical and have their at faces pressed yieldingly against shank I so as to bridge slot 2. The groove 4I is proportionedrto receive the studs when the holder 21 and shank I are pressed together.

e A spring-restrained catch is pivotally mounted on the offset 6 as shown at 45 and has a nger 46 by which it can be lifted out of normal position Grip I9 hasV a notch 41 in its free end portion so located that when the grip is pressed against handle 1, the Acatch can be released so as to engage in the notch and hold the grip against movement away from the handle.

By swinging grip I9 to position substantially at a right angle to handle 1 after it has been released by raising catch 45, the fork I6 Will become disengaged from studs I3 and assume a position astride and p'arallelwith stem end I5. The grip can then be used as a crank or handle and moved in a circle about the axis of stem I4. Thus the `stem can be screwed into or out of the boref24 for-feeding the holder 21, jaw 34 and slide 36 from or toward jaw 3. The grip is then 2 moved` to bring its fork I6 astride arm I2 and against the studs I3 as in Figure 3. The wrench is placed with its two jaws at opposite sides of the object to be turned andthe objectI can be loosely engaged with the working faces of the jaws which, as shown, can be toothed or serrated and can converge toward shank I. The handle 'I and grip I9 are grasped in the hand and pressed toward each other as the wrench is swung in one direction. This causes fork I6'to` press against and be fulcrumed on studs I3 and stem I4 to be pressed forward against the action Consequently' jaw 3'4 will press of spring 2|. the engaged object firmly against jaw plate. 4 and cause the object to move with the wrench. A slight rocking action of jaw 34, its holder 21 and slide 36 will occur to eiect a firmer grip, and when pressure on grip I9 is relieved; andthe wrench swung backfto obtainY a newxgrip, the compressed spring 42 Awill shift the holder21fand its jaw away from shank I and reseat slide36 ontheshank.V 'v f. Y j

Obviously the jaws can be held intight engagement with the object between them simply by fastening the grip I9 with catch'45.'

What is claimed is: Y

. l. A wrench including a longitudinally slotted shank, an offset tubular handle at one end, a stationary jaw at the other end, a shank slidably mounted within the handle, means slidably and rotatably mounted in and projecting beyond the handle for shifting the shank llongitudinally relative to the handle, Aa movable jaw, a holder therefor pivotally connected to said slidable shank, a slide on the slotted lportio'n'oi the rst named shank, arms' fixed relative tothe holder and pivotally connected tothe slide, said arms being extended through and slidable within 'the slot, yielding means interposed between the slotted shankand the holder for normally pressing the holder and the movable jaw away from the slotted shank and normally maintaining the slide in intimate contact with said shank, and cooperating means on the handle and stem for bodily shifting the movable jaw and its holder toward the other jaw.

2. A wrench including a longitudinally slotted shank. a fixed jaw at one end thereof, an offset tubular handle at the other end, a slide vmounted on the slotted shank, a holder slidablyengaging said shank, arms extending from the holder and 'through the slot Yand pivotally connected to the slide, a movable jaw carried by the holder, yielding means interposed between -the shank and holder for maintaining said holder normally pressedaway from the shank, a shank-'pivotally engaged by the holder and slidably mounted within the handle, a stem slidably and rotatably mounted in the handle'and adjustably engaging said holder shank, yielding means within the handle and cooperating with the stem for holding the holder and its shank normally p-ressed toward the fixed jaw, and cooperating means on the stem and handle for shifting the stem and movable jaw against the action of said yielding means. V l

3. A wrench including a vlongitudinally slotted shank, a fixed'jaw at one end thereof, an oset tubular handle at the other end, a slide mounted on the slotted shank, a holder slidably engaging said shank, arms extending from the holder and through the slot and pivotally connectedto the slide, a movable jaw carried by the holder, yielding means interposed between the shank and holder for maintaining said holder normally pressed away from the shank, a shank pivotally engaged by the holder and slidably mounted within the handle, ia stem slidably and rotatably mounted in the handle and adjustably engaging said holder shank, yielding means within the handle and cooperating with the stem 'for holding the holder and its shank normally pressed toward the fixed jaw, and cooperating means on the stem and handle for shifting the stem' and movable jaw against the action of said yielding means, said cooperating means including anger on the handle having `an abutment, a fork fulcrumed on the stem, and a grip extending from the fork and v shiftable toward the handle kto actuate the fork to thrust against the abutment and shift the stem in one direction 4. A wrench including a longitudinally slotted shank, a fixed jaw at one end thereof, an oiset tubular handle at the other end, a slide mounted on the slotted shank, a holder slidably engaging said shank, arms extending from the holder and through the slot and pivotally connectedto the slide, a movable jaw carried by-the holder, yielding means interposed between the shank and holder for maintaining said holder normally pressed away from the shank, a shank pivotally engaged by the holder and slidably mounted Within the handle, a stem slidably and rotatably mounted in the handle and adjustably engaging said holder shank, yielding means within the handle and cooperating with the stem for holdingthe holder and its shank normally pressed toward the xed jaw, and cooperating means on the stem and handle for vshifting the stem and movable jaw against the action of said yielding means, said cooperating means including a iin'- ger on the handle having an abutment,'a fork fulcrumed on the stem, yand a grip extending from the fork and shifta-ble toward the handle to actuate the fork to thrust against theA abutment and lshift the stem in one direction, said fork being proportioned to move into position astride of 'and parallel with the stem thereby to release the grip for actuation as a handle to rotate the stem. 5. A wrench including a longitudinally slotted shank, a fixed jaw at one end thereof, an oil'set tubular handle at the other end, a slide mounted on the slotted shank, a holder slidably engaging said shank, arms extending from the'holder and through the slot and pivotally connected to the slide, a movable jaw carried by the holder, yielding means interposed between the shank and holder for maintaining said holder normally pressed away from the shank, a shank pivotally engaged by the holder and slidably mounted Within the handle, a stern slidably and rotatably mounted in the handle and adjustably engaging said holder shank, yielding means within the handle and cooperating with the stem for holding the holder -and its shank normally pressed toward the xed jaw, and cooperating means on the stem and handle for shifting the stem and movable jaw against the action of said yielding means, said cooperating means including a finger on the'handle having an abutment,- a fork fulcrumed on the stem, and a 'grip extending from :the fo'rk and shiftable' toward the handle to actuate the fork to 'thrust' against the abutment and shift the stem in one direction, and cooperating means on the .grip and slotted shank for fastening the grip out of normal position; AHERVEY W; SMALL. 

